To call in sick to work when you’re sick

[Linzdashluna]

Last week, I called in sick on Tuesday and Wednesday as I couldn’t get out of bed. I tried on the Wednesday, got up, had a shower with the intention of at least trying and seeing if I perked up, but had to keep getting into bed after each thing I did, I felt dreadful so called in again.

My colleague has Thursday and Fridays off so I didn’t see her again until yesterday and she was making digs at me for being off. Saying things like “I was so poorly last week, but I came in because you just have to get on with it” and “I never have time off because I don’t think it’s fair to the team” I said if she was so ill she should have also called in. She said “no, my mum always said if you can walk, you can work” I ignored her but this morning she’s saying stuff again. She won’t stop complaining about how ill she feels but I don’t know what to say because she won’t call in sick so if you’re deciding to get on with it, do that then and stop moaning about it. She said “last week was awful when you were off because I was so unwell and had to do your work as well. I just think there’s people out there who have it worse” what kind of a take is this??? Are there other people out there who actually think like this? We have sick days and sick pay for a reason. If you’re not well enough to work, use them. I don’t understand the problem

Tell her she probably made you ill, coming in with her germs; and if she wouldn’t do that again that would be great.
guarantee she will shush

If I am sick I stay home until I m better.
if any of my team come in sick, I send them home.

Can't stand these work martyr types. They need to realise 'The Man' doesn't give a shit about them, and would drop them like hot coals if the need arose. If you're sick your priority is to you. Not work.

Presenteeism pisses me off. I pay people for 100% effort not 60% and whinging. If you're sick, stay home and rest. You will get better faster and won't make the rest of the team sick.

She might feel unwell but she is well enough to be able to get in to work, which you weren't.

I don’t want people coming into the office when they’re ill.

Sometimes people can’t help it but that’s how you get half the team off sick or feeling miserable and it has a massive knock on effect.

I really liked Covid - if you were sick, stay home and isolate.
No one made you feel guilty as it was policy.

I agree.

I’d say she obviously wasn’t as sick as you then.

What’s odd about it? What point are you trying to make?

I used to work with a woman who always came into work when she was sick to ‘soldier on’, take ages to dhake the illness and then infect everyone elsewho then did take sick days and recover much quicker. It is so selfish to go into work when you are unwell, sick days exist for a reason.

that colleague got bollocked when she soldiered into work with the flu (!) and our pregnant manager would not go near her and told her to go home.

your colleague just wants to be the martyr, take it she has no issue when you cover her days when she is on holiday?

I think a lot of it depends on what job you do.

I do 2 different roles for the same employer. One is a hybrid role so if I don’t feel well I can work from home no problem. I won’t infect anyone else and if I need a lie down I could take one and have my laptop with me. Not the end of the world.

In my other role road safety could very well be severely compromised if I wasn’t well enough. So I potentially would have to take a day off from the role but not from my other one.

In almost 11yrs I have only been off 3 times. Two of those was when my slipped disc meant I couldn’t stand, let alone walk and it was taking 90 minutes to crawl to the toilet (en suite!) and back. There was no way I could get in and out of vehicles all day. I was only doing the second role at the time so couldn’t work from home.

I am lucky that I don’t tend to be poorly very often.

On the other side of the coin we all know the people who take a week off every time they sneeze or miraculously are poorly the day after their birthday, or a night out etc. The ones you can plan your diary around them suddenly needing another 6 months off on full pay……

We had one never a day off he fell asleep at lunchtime because he was fucked.
Never had a day off blah blah
He was a gossip of the highest order
I reckoned he never took a day off incase he missed something.

You don't think it would be strenge for your colleagues to be off sick an average of 20 days per year.

People do love being a martyr don’t they? I think they think companies will like them more if they trudge in everyday they’re poorly (and spread it about). I fully appreciate having to cover people being off especially if you’re starting to come down with it, but that’s where you also then go home. I’ve been there and stayed and does you no favours.

happily I think I’m starting perimenopause as I don’t give a sh8t now and just tell people they’re being an arse and feel no remorse about it. Years ago I would have possibly got upset or played on my mind. Not now, I’m up for a battle. Just tell her with a wink maybe next year she’ll get a gold medal and then have a good giggle. Or if you would prefer to be serious just say well that’s your decision, now can you change the subject I’m bored.

This, and report her for this. If she's allowed to get away with her behaviour, one days she'll try it on someone who is very vulnerable, with serious consequences. Make sure you pursue it as far as you can, so it stops other people behaving this way.
Horrible ableist, if you can walk you can work! She needs sensitivity training too-many people who can't walk do work!

Whose colleagues are off sick for an average of 20 days per year? Where have you pulled that from?

You deserve (and are entitled to) sick days. Dont worry about others x

I loathe people who come in to work coughing and spluttering and spreading their germs all over the place.

If you're ill stay at home. If you're well enough to work but you're still a bit coughy nd sniffly, work from home if that's possible.

Just keep your bloody bacteria and viruses away from me.

She’d soon be moaning if you went to work ill and gave whatever you had to her … along with everyone else.
Why be a “super spreader” … ridiculous.

I think your colleague sounds like an utter loser

I’d tell her that her just getting on with it and coming into work infecting everyone with her germs is why you were off - she doesn’t know if there are vulnerable people in the world or people who have vulnerable folks at home with health conditions she could be harming with her reckless behaviour. This is why you take time off sick.

I’ve been off way more than that in the past few years
endometriosis, was waiting for an operation. Can’t work if you’re crying in pain and that was twice a month at least
plus immunocompromised so infections

Why does she have Thursdays and Fridays off then? Sounds like she's part time. She should be full time, otherwise it's unfair on the rest of the team. Lol.

Where have I said otherwise?

Ah, the old "working yourself to the grave for capitalist gain is so virtuous" mindset. She could work a million sick days and the day she dies she will replaced within seconds.

Don't work yourself to the bone when ill for a company that doesn't care about your health or best interests in the slightest. Like you say, we have sick days and sick pay for a reason.

Word of advice, ignore her. You can't argue with stupid.

God, how sad for her! Tell her if she wants to be a martyr to do it quietly! If she died tomorrow the company would replace her and carry on. You work to live!